Women's Equality Day - Monday, August 22, 2011

Beginning in 1848, women created one of the most remarkable and successful nonviolent civil rights efforts the world has ever seen. It culminated on August 26, 1920 with the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution giving women the right to vote and to hold elective office. This date is celebrated annually as Women’s Equality Day.

With little financial, legal or political power of their own, and working against a well financed and entrenched opposition, women fought for their rights of citizenship, the right to vote. When they first organized to gain political power, women were a virtually powerless, disenfranchised class.

To win the right to vote, women circulated countless suffrage petitions and gave speeches in churches, convention halls, meeting houses and on street corners. They published newspapers, pamphlets, and magazines. They were frequently harassed and sometimes attacked by mobs and police. Some women were thrown in jail, and when they protested the injustice they were treated brutally. Still they persevered.

Learn more on the National Women's History Project website and this history of the women's suffrage movement.

Join CLUW in celebrating Women's Equality Day. We've accomplished so much, yet a lot remains to be done. Visit the Coalition of Labor Union Women website to learn about today's challenges and how CLUW empowers women to make a difference.

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Women's Equality Day - Monday, August 22, 2011